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Sunday, February 28, 2016

The last Franz Ferdinand album was a bit of a disappointment in my eyes. Not that it was bad of course, but just, not as good as their previous three. But this is a cracking single. It's just incredibly funky and simply, Franz Ferdinand at their quicky yet cool best. There's a certain oddity about the band that I can't put my hands on, and it's that strange side to them that always keeps me entertained. They're not like a lot of other indie bands, they go against the grain and never stray far from their unusual style. "Evil Eye" is all of this in a nutshell and it's just great.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Aw dammit. It happens sometimes. As much as I try not to like certain hip hop or pop songs sometimes they're just so catchy you can't help but like them. That's exactly my feelings on GDFR.

In general I don't like Flo Rida, he's done two or three tracks that I like but otherwise I don't rate him at all. But "G.D.F.R." is just such a catchy song. What can I say? I have a soft spot for saxophone solos when done correctly! "G.D.F.R." is just one of the catchiest hip hop songs in recent years, and credit to Flo Rida for that, he's pulled one out of the bag here.

It's funny, because for a long time I actually didn't know this song was Imagine Dragons! I heard this song a lot, and it ended up being one of this lovely radio friendly songs that you liked to listen to but didn't actually invest time to discovering more about, or at least that's what it was like for me. And then, someone requested the song on one of my radio shows and I was just like "oh my god, it's that song!". And the rest is history.

"On Top of the World" is simply just one of the happiest, positive thinking, lovely songs of the decade so far. Especially considering it's an indie track, it's just such an uplifting song, hence why it's been used a lot in the media, like in FIFA, a Samsung Galaxy advert and the movie The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. It's just a cool track that's very fresh and... just lovely.

Friday, February 26, 2016

It sucks so bad that this band has disbanded. Before Slaves came along, TEMBLD were the band that, in a nutshell, I couldn't shut up about. I always try to plug bands and artists that I find to be terribly underrated and this band was the cream of the underrated bands of the crop. They still are, despite not making any more music.

This was their final single, and while it's not their best single or best song, it's a damn fine track that kicks a lot of ass. If you like your hard rock, garage rock, psychobilly, gothic rock, or a mix of those genres, seriously give them a listen. Even though they're not making any more music, it would upset me greatly if they just faded into obscurity and never got the recognition they truly deserve.

Tame Impala have become one of Australia's most successful exports in recent years and a lot of it is thanks to this song. It was used in quite a few adverts, particularly the Blackberry adverts.It's just an incredibly cool song, and sounds fresh, even today, despite now being nearly four years old. It's a hard thing to create a song that sounds retro and new at the same time, considering how many bands there are now making music heavily inspired by the 70s prog rock movement but Tame Impala have managed to do that pretty effortlessly here. It's just an incredibly cool track with a lovely combination of the funky beats and a psychedelic riff.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Rammstein have been very quiet in this decade so far. Sure they've done some touring and festivals but on the "new music" front there's been a little bit of chatter here and there but very little progress on a new album. Latest news suggests they will be bringing a new album out this year or next year but who knows.So the only true new song by Rammstein really this decade is the terrific and hilarious "Mein Land". Taking the piss out of Baywatch and beach programs in general, "Mein Land" once again shows that Rammstein go against the grain when it comes to showing that Germans truly do have a good sense of humour. The song itself is good but not great, but the video alone makes the song better. This song was on their Greatest Hits compilation, the only new song on the release, but it fits really well with all the fantastic tracks Rammstein have created over the years. "Mein Land" is a fine record, pure and simple.

Monday, February 22, 2016

When it comes to the modern day folky poppy solo male singers Ed Sheeran is one of the best. They're not really my thing generally, I don't like James Bay and I can't stand Sam Smith, but in fairness, Ed Sheeran is pretty good. For a genre I don't like I can't help but appreciate some of Ed's stuff. "Sing" is by far my favourite of his songs. It's incredibly catchy, and, clearly, heavily inspired by Justin Timberlake. I once read somewhere another journalist say that with "Sing", Ed does Timberlake better than Timberlake does. Which is some compliment. With the help from Pharrell Williams (again!), Ed Sheeran has created one of the best pop songs of this decade. It'll be remembered for years to come. And it's a cracking tune in fairness.Speaking of the folky poppy solo male singers, check out Jamie N Commons. He's fantastic. Yes he'll be featured on this list at some point or another.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Coldplay are getting a lot of "hate" at the moment, since their Superbowl performance. It's kind of weird to be honest, because they've been one of the biggest indie bands for over a decade now. I've never been a massive fan of theirs, but every so often they bring out a single that really sticks with me and I end up liking it. "Paradise" is one of those singles. I don't really have a good explanation towards why I like this particular Coldplay track. It's just a really good indie song with a nice drum beat throughout and a very catchy chorus. There's some good electronic music played in it too. It's just a good track, simple as that.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Featuring the guitarist and back up vocalist of System of a Down in Daron Malakian, this song kicks some serious ass. Riff wise, it's probably one of Linkin Park's heaviest tracks, then again when you consider it has the guitarist of SOAD taking part it's likely to be. I love the guitars in this song and the chorus is pretty sweet too. It's a great collaboration, one you wouldn't expect, and it's one that works surprisingly well; I mean sure, Linkin Park and System of a Down are both metal bands but they're very very different in style. And this song meets nicely towards the middle of both bands, even if it does have Linkin Park's name on the label. It's just an all-round great metal track and one that deserves more airplay than it has.

Friday, February 19, 2016

The Dead Weather, if you didn't know, are a supergroup consisting of members of The White Stripes, The Kills, Queens of the Stone Age, The Raconteurs amongst other bands. They've actually just released their third album, so they're not a one off gig. In fact, in my opinion, I like them more than The Kills and The Raconteurs, nearly as The White Stripes... but QOTSA are one of my all time favourites so... Anyway. They're a really good band that are pretty established now, so it would surprise me if you at least hadn't heard of them, if you like your rock music. Their albums are pretty good too so don't judge them on singles alone. But as singles go "Blue Blood Blues" is a belter. It has some excellent guitar work (what would you expect from Jack White) and it's just funky as hell. Go and check it out below.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Paloma Faith has always been one of those singers that I tend to like more as a person rather than as an actual singer. I've been aware of Paloma faith for years, from back in the days when she was on a lot of comedy panel shows and chat shows, in particular Nevermind the Buzzcocks. She's always been a really cool gal who happens to be a very good singer.Nowadays she's finally made it "big" working with the likes of Pharrell Williams and such. She deserves all the plaudits and success that she's currently getting and has worked very hard to get where she's at. She's not really my cup of tea as a whole musically, but this is a fantastic song that I love listening to when I'm feeling like listening to a softer, popier track rather than the hard rock and metal that I usually play.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

So yesterday I was saying that I'm being a bit pessimistic about the most recent entries but if there's one band who's re-emergence has been a success, in my opinion, it's Limp Bizkit. Their last album was a pretty fine effort in fairness and there was some great tracks on there. "Shotgun" was a flashback to their older days, the days where Limp Bizkit combined slick rhymes with surprisingly cool riffs and disc scratching. Limp Bizkit went back to their old days where they didn't give a fuck about anyone but themselves and their fanbase, and didn't care if they were a commercial success or not. And "Shotgun" is them in this fine vein, spitting out lyrics to rap and metal, whether like it or not.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

I might be coming across as quite pessimistic in these early posts, what with a lot of them being bands that I used to be very fond of but have, in my opinion, made less good efforts in recent times but that's just me being honest. The Fratellis too are another band that I absolutely loved. Their first two albums are among some of my favourites from the last decade. But their last two efforts were just simply disappointing. I actually saw The Fratellis live during this "We Need Medicine" tour and they were simply "okay". I just feel like they've lost their initial spark since the release of "Costello Music", their debut album. I was a big supporter of the band, a band who were considered to be, and now are pretty much definitely labelled as a one hit wonder band. The "Chelsea Dagger" band. It sucks. They didn't deserve that title - people really need to listen to their first two albums to really appreciate how damn good they were.

Anyway, tangent aside, this song is half way there towards being as good as the band used to be. It mixes their cheeky lyrics about women but still have the more downbeat and mature style that they're more accustomed to being recently. They used to be a cheeky Scottish band with really upbeat and catchy music. Now they tend to do one or the other - the lyrics or the music, rarely mixing their immature yet superior old style. This is definitely a good track, and I feel it's as good as The Fratellis are going to be now, which sucks because they were one of my favourite British bands not so long ago.

Here's the song if you want to hear it!

If you missed #95 go here.For the latest updates on my work, including all my latest radio shows, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

Monday, February 15, 2016

Man I love The Beards. Being a bearded man myself, it's hard not to love this band. You may think that this is a silly parody band that sing about beards... and if you think that then you are correct with your assumption. But don't think that just because they're a silly parody band that a): they can't play music and b): they don't take their craft seriously and c): they're any lesser band than any other band out there. They're a fantastic band. I saw them in Manchester in 2014 and it was one of the best gigs I've been to. They're hilarious and more importantly, they play live incredibly well."I'm in the Mood... for Beards" is a great single. It's not one of my favourite songs by The Beards so that says something about how good they are. They've done four albums about beards and they're all full of great tracks. So what I'm saying is, if this song isn't one of my favourites, then listen to the song below, I'm sure you'll like it and if so, definitely check out their other stuff because they have a vault full of good quality, comedy tracks about beards. Seriously, check them out!!

Here's the song if you want to hear it!

If you missed #96 go here.For the latest updates on my work, including all my latest radio shows, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

Sunday, February 14, 2016

This website is around 6 years old now. I've been writing for over a decade. I've been listening to Saul Williams for pretty much all that time. I'm finally going to be seeing him live, all being well, next month. And yet very few people still have heard of him. I have little impact on the music world unfortunately because if there's one artist I could try and convince people to try and give a chance, it's Saul Williams."Explain My Heart" isn't my favourite song by him, or my favourite single in this time frame we're covering. A fantastic song, with a great music video; "Explain My Heart" goes through the mental process of trying to understand one's ability to love and feel. Saul Williams has covered many genres in his career, from rap to rock, to industrial metal to hip-hop, to electronic music and African tribal music. This time round he mixes traditional African drum beats with his more modern hip hop musings. Please check it out.

Here's the music video if you want to hear it!

If you missed #97 go here.For the latest updates on my work, including all my latest radio shows, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Ah, good old Mazza. It's well documented if you know me and have followed my journalism for over a decade that he used to be my favourite musician. Manson lost the plot big time at around the 2007 mark and, to my opinion, he has never fully recovered."Born Villain" however was a solid album. It wasn't as good as his first five albums, but it's not far behind. As an album it's very good, and this was the main single. I mean, it's not an amazing song but it's good. There was some corkers on the album however, better songs than this for sure. But "No Reflection" as a song... it's very good indeed. With an interesting video as well. Check it out.

Here's the music video if you want to hear it!

If you missed #98 go here.For the latest updates on my work, including all my latest radio shows, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

Friday, February 12, 2016

I'd like to start off by saying that "Seldom Seen Kid" is one of my favourite alternative rock albums of the past 10 years or so. I did like "Build a Rocket Boys!" but I didn't love it... if that makes sense. I did actually review it for this site, you can read that review here.Regardless of how I feel of that album, "Neat Little Rows" as a song and single is very good. It actually has aged very well; I thought it was quite a weak choice for a single when I first heard it but over time it's really settled with me very nicely, and I do certainly think it's one of the best songs off the album. It's pretty much Elbow as a band in a nutshell, full of Guy Garvey's penetrating tones, gorgeous piano and an underlying funky riff. It's a solid track.

Here's the music video if you want to hear it!

If you missed #99 go here.For the latest updates on my work, including all my latest radio shows, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!